How I Came to Start Smoking

During the 1942/3 Battle of The Atlantic, I was a Wren in Western Approaches, Liverpool, employed in the Commander in Chief’s office (typing section). There were seven Wrens in our office and once a week we each had to do a 24 hour duty. This meant that when the other girls left at 6pm, the duty Wren was on her own.
On one such duty I was telephoned to go to the Chief of Staff’s office. When I arrived, Captain Lake (C.O.S.) told me we had just lost 34 ships in a Russian convoy. He was exceedingly sad and said he felt we’d lost the war.
He had written up a report on the engagement, which was to be typed (my job), and distributed.
He ended his report with the sentence “It’s Doenitz whose done it!”
On my way back to the office, feeling thoroughly dejected, I called in at the canteen and bought a packet of cigarettes and matches. I was 18. This was my first ever cigarette and eventually kicked the habit when in my 50s.
(Note: Admiral Doenitz was Commander in Chief of the German Navy and was fanbatical about the power of the U Boat).

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